Method of artificial incubation.



O. SHACKELFORD.

METHOD OF ARTIFICIAL INCUBATION.

APPLICATION man DEC. 8. 1914.

1,156,374. Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

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To alltoitomitmay concema I Be it known 'that I, ORIE Srmormnronn, a citizen of the United States,'residingv at Fairmont, in the county of Marionand State of West Virginia, have invented certain newiand useful Improvements in Methods of Artificial Incubation, of which the following is a'specification. l j

My rinvention relatesto, an improved method of'a-rtificial incubation.

,An important object of thelinven'tion is to provide means whereby the bad andfertile eggs, upon being subjected to heat suit able for incubation fora periodto develop the embryonicchickens intheflfertile eggs, maybe readily distinguished by the different relative positionsfassumed by the bad and fertileeggs, thusenabling the bad eggs to be removed from the presence :of the fer tile eggs. I, I a I,

A further object of the invention is to provide means for pivotally engagingand supporting the eggs atremotejpoints, m a manner to allow the same to tilt upon their transverse axes, whereby the fertile eggs may assume a positionoblique tothe perpendicular, more or less.

Other objects and advantages of the in vention will be apparent durlng the course of the following description. My invention is founded upon the discovery that if a fertile eggis pivotally supported, preferably at remote points, so' that it is free to tilt upon its transverse axis from its normal substantially horizontal position, upon the development of the embryonic chicken therein, the fertlle egg will assume a position oblique to the perpendicular, more or. less. tilting of the fertile egg is believed to be due to the formation of an air space in one end of the shell, while the embryonic chicken developsin the opposite end thereof, thus causing the eggto rise. The bad eggs do not tiltupon their transverse axes,

whereby they may be readily distinguished" from the fertile eggs, and removed from their presence. 5 p.

My method consistsbroadly 1n plvotally supporting the eggs, preferably at remote points, in a manner-to permit of the same tilting upon their transverse axes, and preferably turning the eggs upon their longitudinal axes, at suitable intervals, while the thereby.-

The upward eggs are subjected toheat suitablez for in part of this specification andfin which like numerals are, employed to designate like i I s iacafi n or Letters Patent P t t d0 t12, 1915'," Application and December 8,1914. Seria1No.876,049. i

partsthroughout thesame, Figure l isa plan view ofapparatus embodying: my inventlon, and, Fig. 2 is an enlarged frag- 'mentary side elevation of a portion of the same, showing bad and fertile eggscarried r In the drawings wherein forthe purpose of lllustrat on 1s shown apparatus suitable for the practice of my methocl,jfthe;numeral 5 designates anincubatorchamber, within which is mounted a framefiyhaving, spaced 1 horizontal rolls, rods, or supporting ele&

ments 7, preferably journaled therethrough,

as shown. .These supporting elements or rods carryatcorresponding ends, sprocket wheels 8, engaged by a sprocketchaini9, .I.

whereby the same will turn together inthe same direction. One I end supporting :-ele I c ment or rod 7 is preferably extended to the exterior of the incubator chamber 5, for connection with a crank 10, by means of which the supporting elements or rods may be turned. Any other suitablemeans may be employed to turn the supporting elements or rods, if desired.

The incubator chamber 5 is maintained. at a suitable temperature for incubation, I

by anysuitable means, and it is to be understood that any other apparatus may be employed for subjecting the eggs to heat suitable for incubation.

I In the practice of my method and operation of the apparatus in connection therewith, the eggs 11 and 12 are arranged upon and below thesame. l/Vhile the distance between the supporting elements or rods 7 may be varied, within certain limits, yet it is necessary that the same be spaced sufliciently between the supporting elements or rods 7, i

so that the ends of the eggs which tilt downwardly, may pass therebetween"with-' out engaging therewith, the same servmg 55 I cubation, and removing theeggs which re- 312L111, substantially horizontal from the pres- Q I 7v 1,156,374

to pi'votally suspend the eggs at remote POlIliZS, to turn upon their transverse axes.

I have discovered that the fertile eggs, upon] the development of the embryonic eggs remain substantially horizontal, thus enabling the bad eggs to be distinguished from the fertile. eggs. This tilting of-the' fertile eggs is believed to be due to the formation of an air space 13 in one end of the suitable intervals, for turning the eggs upon egg,-while the embryonic chicken 14: is arranged in the oppositeend portion thereof, as shown in Fig. 2. The supporting elements or rods 7 are preferably rotated at their longitudinal axes. Thisorotation of the eggs upon their longitudinal axes, while not-essential for causing the-same to vertically tilt, has been found to more or less aid in such tilting, besides being advantageous, for other well known reasons. The

eggs are of course subjected-to heat suitable for incubation, and when the fertile eggs tilt vertically, the bad'eggs which remain substantially horizontal are removed from their presence.

It is to be understood' that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various ohangesmay be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of'the invention or-the scope of the subjoined claims. 1 i

3 Having thus described my invention, 1. The method of incubating eggs, which consists 1n pivotally supporting the eggs whereby they are free to tilt upon their transverse axes upon the development of the embryonic chickens therein, maintaining'the eggs at a temperature suitable for incubation for a suitable length of time, and removing the eggs which remain substantially horizontal from the presence of the other eggs whenthe other eggs have tilted toja position oblique to the perpendicular. V

The hereindescribed method of-incubating eggs, which consists in freely 'pivotally supporting each egg'jat points arranged upon the opposite sides thereof while the lower portion ofthe egg iswholly unsupported whereby it is freeto tilt upon its traverse aXis'up0n the development of the embryonic chicken thereimmaintaining the eggs at a temperature suitable for'incubation for a suitable length of time, and removing the eggs which remain substantially horizontal from the presence of the other eggs when the othereggs have tilted to a position oblique to the perpendicular.

.In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

ORIE SHACKELFORD.

'VVitnesses:

H. E. ENGLE, ROLAND B. WALLIS.

Copies, of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Batents i r Washington; D. C. V 1 

